The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-11-04
GOOD THINGS TO REMEMBER.
Politicians who Never Forget Mems
Names or Faces.
From the Ne,c York sun.

Iulln2 1IeSlleltb al Nlltli u NJ 10
IN 1883, be went to st. Augustine for a brief
stay, and by some mistake arrived at the
hotel some time before his rooms were
ready for him. One of the clerks went
into the hotel pallor, where the President
was waiting, to shake hands with him.
"Why. Blank said the President, greet
ing him heartily, Il haven't seen you for
twenty wears The last time / saw you YOU
made special effort to get me good room
AT Wizards, in Washington, in 1862 You
were clerk there then"
In speaking of the incident afterward, the
President said that he had heard years be-
fore that Thurlow Weed had once said to
William H. Seward that above all things a
politician, especially one who expected to be
. candidate for office, should learn always
10 remember the face of every man whom
he ever met, and the name that went with
the face.
Gen. Arthur said that whether Thurlow
Weed said this or not it was quite true, and
was true as a matter of courtesy and good
will. as we'll as of selfish policy in business
or notifies. He had fortunately very little
difficulty in remembering faces and names,
and he had always made it point to fix
the face and name of every person whom he
met even in a casual way, i'll his
mind and was usually able to do so.
Gen. Arthur was quite right in this state
rnent No man whom he ever met, save
many of those who passed him in the crush
and haste of White House reception, ever
had to be presented a second time to him.
When he was active in New York politics,
men from the country districts were some
times brought to him, and before the intro
duction was finished, Gen. Arthur would be
quite likely to say:
"Oh, | know Mr.. Smith very well; we
met at such and such place, or why Mr..
Brown, it isn't necessary for us to be intro
duced to one another; you and | met ten
years ago at Syracuse, don't you remem-
berf"
That was a greeting that set all men at
ease. and no local worker in ward politics,
however humble, ever met Gen. Arthur to
be forgotten. Unlike very many other pub
lie men, he never forgot the face or name of
a newspaper man, and he had to do with
very many in his career. If a new one
called upon him for information or an in
tel'view, he was careful to ask him for his
name or card, and could probably before
going to Washington call more reporters by
name than any other public man in New
York.
He did not cultivate the habit out of
policy but, as he said, because he believed
that true courtesy and the honorable wish
TO please, required that an effort be made
never to forgot one who had once been pre-
sented
This gift however, is not a common one,
either by cultivation or natural possession.
Many are the politicians who have done
great damage to their aspirations by will
fully or carelessly neglecting to cultivate
the habit of remembering names and faces.
Mr.. Blaine possesses this qualification for
success in public life, and nothing so greatly
annoys him as to learn that it has been
necessary to introduce any one twice to
him If he does not catch the name at the
introduction. he takes the first opportunity
to learn what it is. In these later days he
does not always make manifest his recolec-
lions, for there are some men whom he has
been obliged to meet whom he prefers to
hold off at a distance. A story is told of
Blaine, that upon one occasion in passing
through q crowded car he nodded casually
to man he knew. This man stared at him
in amaZement, and awkwardly returned the
salutation. By and by Mr.. Blaine took a
vacant seat beside this man and said;
Jones, l don't believe you remember me,
but | do you. ] used to trade with you
when you kept store in Portland, twenty
years ago"
You've got the advantage of me, sir"
was his reply.
Come now, can't you really recollect
mel" asked Blaine.
No, I cannot. 1 can't place you at all,
Who are youm
my name is Blaine"
What! No! Not Jim Blaine. Speaker
Blainel'
YES, I'm Jim Blaine" said Blaine,
laughing.
But your hair and beard were sandy
them
Yes. But we grow old, Jones. You
haven't changed, though.
When Jones, if that was his name, last
saw Blaine, he was an employe on the
Portland Advertiser at 81 200 year and
getting ready to leave because his salary
was not raised to $1,000. Prabably Mr..
Jones never thought enough about the poor
newspaper man to fix his face very firmly
in his memory
When Blaine was elected Speaker it was
said that within twenty -four hours he knew
every member by name and sight, and his
State, district and politics, though this re-
markable rapidity of thorough memorizing
has been equalled by Speaker Carlisle, who
forgot but one new members face and
name, Judge Nutting, of New York, and
greatly was Mr.. Carlisle panied at this slip
up. Many members get well into their
second term before they know all their as
sociates even by sight, to say nothing of
their names
A distinguished member of the House hap
pened to be sitting in the gallery one day
with newspaper correspondent. 1t was
well on TO the close of the second session.
A member arose and made motion.
us that man member of this House ~
asked the distinguished member"
Yes and this is his second term.
We'll, | never saw nor heard of that man
before;" and yet the man who made this re-
mark was regarded as one of the leaders in
the House.
Tom Reed would never have made such
confession. If he cul5ivates the habit of
remembering names and faces, he gives no
sign of such habit. The gift seems to be a
natural one with him, and he once said that
he never looked a man i'll the face that some
striking popularity, a line, wrinkle, an
expression about the eyes, the setting of the
lips, the cant of the nose, something set that
mans face down in his mind ineradicably,
and distinguished him from all the rest of
mankind. So that when man approached
him he would think, 'here comes that man
Robinson, whose right pupil is bigger than
his left, or this is Thompson, whose nose
Is 80 crooked" Mr.. Reed never stands on
personalities, either
My names Reed, what's yours" is a
common habit of self-introduction with
MN. This gift has pulled him through one
or two hard struggles in Portland, for it
mas gained him friends, who stuck to him
at time when friends We're precious.
EX-Gov. Long, of Massachusetts, rather
pildes himself upon his ability to call every
body by name whom he has ever met, and it
pleases him, too, to get the better OF those
whom he TINS aT,orOachpg IL is said of the